Muslim merchants in the New York City area are boycotting sales
of the New York Post because of that newspaper's anti-Muslim, anti-Arab,
anti-Palestine bias and the failure of editors to offer sufficient
right-of-reply to negative articles.

Boycott organizers say almost 500 merchants are taking part in the
campaign by refusing to sell the Post in their newsstands, grocery
stories or other businesses. In Staten Island alone, some 100 merchants
have joined the boycott.

The campaign began spontaneously several months ago, but is now
coordinated by a Brooklyn-based organization called the Arab-American
Muslim Federation.

Representatives of the group recently met with Post officials, but
could
not resolve their differences.

The New York Post is published by Rupert Murdoch's News Corporation.
News Corporation was one of three US companies that was lauded for
their support of Israel at the America-Israel Friendship League
Partners for Democracy Awards dinner (25th June 2001). Murdoch himself
co-chaired the dinner. Currently New Corporation is the target of
a Muslim boycott of companies supporting israel. For further details
see :

In a New York park, a young boy was attacked by a savage
dog. A passerby happened to see that and came to the rescue.
Having tackled the vicious dog, he strangled it to death.

A reporter for the New York Post was watching all this and
took snap shots for a front page picture in the next day's
issue. Approaching the hero, he says: "Your heroic feat
shall be published in tomorrow's New York Post under the headline
'Brave New Yorker rescues boy'.

"I'm not from New York," replied the hero.

"Oh in that case we'll change the headline: 'Brave American
rescues boy from savage dog'.

"I'm not American either," replied the brave hero.

On being asked about who he really was, the hero replied:
"I'm a Pakistani."

Well, the next day the headline on the front page of the
New York Post said: "Muslim Fundamentalist strangles
dog to death in New York park. FBI investigating possible
link to Al-Qaeda."

WASHINGTON: Word has it that these days it can be difficult to
buy a copy of the New York Post in some New York neighborhoods.
The reason is simple: Some Arab-American newsstand vendors are boycotting
the newspaper because they say the daily paper is publishing false
information about Muslims, and turning American society against
them.

Arab storeowners, even those who continue selling the Post, are
considering severing all ties with the publication. They say the
paper "curses them" by supporting Israel in the war with
Palestine and by placing anti-Islamic editorials.

According to Polish Daily News, a New York paper published in Polish,
of which Arab News received a translation, many of the Arab-American
vendors are quite frank about the sudden disappearance of one of
the citys main newspapers, while others are more discreet.

Responses can vary from: "The paper is sold out." To:
"We stopped selling this paper two months ago because they
write bad things about Arabs."

"People look at us as if we were terrorists," a Saudi
who has been in the United States for 10 years and considers this
country his second home, told Polish Daily News.

The paper quotes Abdullah, a Yemeni man who works at a newsstand
in Brooklyn, who asked why he should sell a newspaper that, he says,
publishes untrue opinions about his country. "Think about it,"
Abdullah explains, "a customer reads in the paper that the
vendor is a murderer and illiterate. I dont think hell
come back to me after reading something like that. If Poles had
to distribute anti-Polish newspapers Im sure they wouldnt
do it."

Abdul from Nassau and Manhattan Avenues, gave up selling the Post
after reading it for a few months. He said he hoped the editors
would become less vitriolic and report the Israeli-Palestinian conflict
with less bias. "Unfortunately, the stupid opinions continued
so I said No, thank you to the distributor. You havent
been able to buy this daily paper here for more than a month,"
Abdul told the paper.

Polish Daily News reports most of the newsstands in the Brooklyn
area are planning to stop distribution of the paper very soon. "Right
now, the boss is on vacation, so we are waiting for him to come
back. Hell make the final decision. I trust he will do what
others have. No Arab can remain indifferent in this matter,"
confesses Ali from Yemen, a vendor on Greenpoint Avenue. His peers
from across the street think the same. "We have to support
the Palestinians," they say.

Ismael who owns a store on Manhattan Avenue told New York Polish
Daily News: "We will give up the Post very soon because there
is no big demand for it. The Post writes badly about us and our
stores. They put us in the same bag with the extremists who destroyed
the World Trade Center. It hurts because each nation has its black
sheep and its wrong to generalize."

"A customer reads in the paper that the
vendor is a murderer and illiterate. I don't think he'll come back
to me after reading something like that."

For the past few weeks, it has been difficult to buy the New York
Post in the Polish neighborhood of Greenpoint, Brooklyn. Arab newsstand
vendors have been boycotting the newspaper. According to vendors,
the daily paper publishes false information about Muslims, turning
society against them.

Arab storeowners, even those who continue selling the Post, are
considering severing all ties with the publication. They claim the
paper "curses them" by supporting Israel in the war with
Palestine and by placing anti-Islamic editorials.

When asked about why the Post is missing from their shelves, they
answer suspiciously, "The paper is sold out."

"How come?" I ask. "You can't buy it even early
in the morning."

"Are you from the Post? Oh, I see. You're with Nowy Dziennik,"
said Andy who works at the store on Nassau Avenue and Humboldt Street.
"We stopped selling this paper two months ago because they
write bad things about Arabs."

"Then people look at us as if we were terrorists," said
a Saudi who has been in the United States for 10 years and considers
this country his second home.

In one bag with the terrorists

Abdullah, a Yemeni man who works at the newsstand on Norman Street,
can't see why he would have to sell a newspaper that, he says, publishes
untrue opinions about his country. "Think about it," Abdullah
explains, "a customer reads in the paper that the vendor is
a murderer and illiterate. I don't think he'll come back to me after
reading something like that. If Poles had to distribute anti-Polish
newspapers I'm sure they wouldn't do it.

Abdul from the Garden Store at Nassau and Manhattan Avenues, gave
up selling the Post after reading it for a few months. Each time
he read the paper, he hoped the editors would become milder and
report the Israeli-Palestinian conflict with less bias. "Unfortunately,
the stupid opinions con-tinued so I said 'no, thank you' to the
distributor. You haven't been able to buy this daily paper here
for more than a month," said Abdul.

The newspaper is available in "uptown" Greenpoint, which
is closer to Greenpoint Avenue. Every second newsstand, however,
is planning on refusing to sell the paper very soon.

"Right now, the boss is on vacation, sowe are waiting for
him to come back. He'll make the final decision. I trust he will
do what others have. No Arab can remain indifferent in this matter,"
confesses Ali from Yemen, a vendor on Greenpoint Avenue.

His peers from across the street think the same. "We have
to support the Palestinians," they say.Ismael, who owns one
of the stores on Manhattan Avenue carefully explained, "We
will give up the Post very soon because there is no big demand for
it." He would only give me the real reason after I proved to
him that I was not a spy from the Post. "Actually, I only sell
this paper because they deliver it to my store. The Post writes
badly about us and our stores. They put us in the same bag with
the extremists who destroyed the World Trade Center. It hurts because
each nation has its black sheep and it's wrong to generalize. The
editors have a bias against Muslims. They are extremely pro-Jewish.
Personally, I have nothing against Jews but they have a lot against
me. Jews don't like anybody-us, Americans, Poles. Wasn't it the
Jews who crucified Jesus? And he was the best man in the world,"
Ismael said.

They can write whatever they want

The Post will not disappear from Sujit Kumala's store on Manhattan
Avenue. "I am not Muslim and personally none of the opinions
published in the paper offended me. However, I do have a problem
with their distribution, which is often late. Sometimes we get the
paper at 9 a.m. when customers are already on their way to work,
but I think this can be solved. I don't intend to cancel the Post
supply."

Ali from Super Deli Grocery at 627 Manhattan Avenue agrees. "My
only problem with the Post is distribution. Sometimes I order 41
copies and I get one. Otherwise I have nothing against selling this
paper. They can write whatever they want. I'm Muslim but I'm trying
to rise above that. It's important that I make money."

The New York Post is one of the largest and is the oldest daily
in the city.Published for the past 200 years, it attracts readers
with its plain style ofwriting and low newsstand price (25 cents).
Until recently, the newspaper could be purchased anywhere in the
city. Currently, in Greenpoint, it's only available in a few stores.